Guilty Until Proven Innocent
by legend-of-stelena
Summary: Link is accused of a murder he didn't commit, leaving it up to Zelda to protect him from being declared guilty. Zelink One-shot. Cover photo by xx-ingie-xx on her Deviantart


**_Cover photo by xx-ingie-xx (_** ** _deviantart/Fortitude-Cover-79233551)_**

 ** _Prompt 2: Accusation (Link and Zelda; any game)_**

Two rough hands held a sturdy grip on Zelda's arms as she was led down the darkly lit corridor towards the prison cells.  
As a little girl playing in the halls of Hyrule Castle, she had always been scared of this area. She'd always frozen in fear when she had run across the entrance to this corridor and sometimes, she wouldn't even move out of her own paralyzing terror until Impa came to get her.  
That Zelda would have been horrified at the idea of actually _wanting_ to go down this hall. Her tiny mind, even when teamed up with the Triforce of Wisdom wouldn't have been able to understand the reasons.  
But the older Zelda did.  
She knew that there was a perfectly good reason as to why she was going towards the castle dungeons, and that it was a reason that her younger self wouldn't be able to properly comprehend.  
The love of her life was sitting in one of those cells. He wasn't a thief or a guard gone rogue. He wasn't a typical criminal or a murderer.  
But he was being accused of being one.  
A month earlier, Zelda's personal guard, Sir Link, had been accused of a crime he didn't commit. He had simply been in the wrong place with the wrong weapon at the wrong time. He had been arrested and with that, she had begun losing hope at a chance for their relationship.

Her heels echoed against the cobblestone floor as she was led deeper and deeper into the depths of Hyrule Castle. Moans and shouts from the prisoners had grown audible as she trudged along.  
She ignored the various cat calls that came from the surrounding cells and simply looked ahead as prisoners winked at her flirtatiously. She was already taken, after all.  
Well...somewhat.  
"Right here," one of the guards said, loosening his grip on her to unlock the door.  
She sucked in a deep breath as the door swung open and she saw Link there.  
He was in chains bound to the wall and his hands had what looked like dried blood imprinted on them. The room had various signs of a struggle, proving that Link certainly hadn't allowed himself to be chained up without a fight.  
The black eye on one side of his face was evident of what that struggle's outcome was. The sight of him like this hurt her.

"You have fifteen minutes, your Grace," one soldier said as the both of them released her and shut the door.  
She didn't even hesitate and ran towards him.  
Kneeling down on the hard ground and most definitely scratching her own knees in the process, she sat before him and took his face in her hands.  
"Link?" she cried.  
"Princess?" he whispered.  
She released a sigh of relief when she heard his voice.  
"I...how are you?"  
He laughed a little. "It's alright to drop the formalities around me, Princess, you know that."  
She gave a small smile. "Sorry. Force of habit."  
He laughed a little, despite their given situation. He looked up again; his blue eyes shining even though barely any light emanated from the tiny window above their heads.  
She could see that he was struggling to keep up a facade. He was trying to seem happier and more cheerful than she knew he was.  
It was a good act too. Anyone could have thought that the feelings were sincere and that he felt absolutely fine, but she knew him better than that.  
"You know, you don't need to keep pretending with me. I know you're miserable here," she explained sadly.  
He hesitated for a brief moment before sighing in defeat. "It was worth a shot, Princess."  
The corner of his mouth went up and she couldn't hesitate to press a warm kiss to his rough cheek; his stubble sharp against her lips.  
When she pulled away, Link set his forehead against hers and they simply sat in silence with the only audible sound being their deep breathing. It was only with him that she could have quiet moments such as these and Goddesses, did she miss it every day.

Zelda soon lifted her dark blue eyes up to Link's and he shut his own quickly.  
The lapis lazuli of her eyes, the shine in her hair, the sweetness of her smile...it had always been too much for him. Even in this cell, he often sat and pondered as to how such a beautiful woman could exist. He believed that she had been fashioned as the Goddesses; designed to be as majestic in beauty as they were. Behind that beauty lay an intellectual mind that was always at work no matter the situation or time of day. And finally, at the core of it all was purely _Zelda_. Her good heart, her kind demeanor, her strong willpower and everything that made her the person that she was.  
The person that he loved.  
He always asked himself how he was so deserving of such a woman (who happened to also be his land's princess, of all things) when he often felt that he never actually deserved her. And yet, she saw _something_ in him, something worth believing in.  
Something that still brought her to his dirty cell whenever the Council was gracious enough to allow her to visit him.  
She was such a contrast from the dark and dank expanse of his cell that he had grown accustomed to. It was as though he had been stuck in darkness for his entire life, only for this ray of light to enter his world and turn the monochrome into color.  
Holy golden Triforces, he loved her.  
As much as he knew he wasn't worth her time and affections, as much as he told himself that she was _the_ princess of Hyrule, he couldn't fall out of love with her. Even if these emotions caused his downfall, he wouldn't regret a single tear he shed, a word he spoke or kiss he gave to and for this woman.  
"Link?" she whispered, bringing him out of his thoughts.  
He gave a small laugh. "I'm sorry, it's just that…" he sighed. "Sometimes I just have to remind myself that you're actually real. I've dreamt about you being here before, only to open my eyes and have you not be here."  
She set a hand upon his cheek, making his eyes lock on hers. "I'm here. I'm real."  
"I know."  
Even though the reassuring words had already left both of their mouths, she still kissed him as if to seal the promise that she was in fact, here.

Minutes later, Zelda felt two strong pairs of hands pull her away from Link.  
"Fifteen minutes are up, Your Highness," one of the guards grumbled as they dragged her away from the man she loved. She made no effort to fight back; there was no point.  
Once they were out of the dungeon, the guards released her.  
"Your Grace, your presence is required in the council chamber at once," the other guard explained.  
 _Council chamber?_ No one had alerted her of a meeting with her council at all.  
"At who's request?" she asked dubiously.  
"Count Ogden, Your Majesty."  
 _Count Ogden, lovely_ , Zelda thought to herself. Count Ogden was one of the older nobles in her council. He had been around since her father was King and he was bringing his son, the young Viscount Cromwell Ogden, onto the same path.  
Zelda dreaded this meeting. Not a single smile crossed her face on the way to the chamber.

"Ah, Your Grace, please, take your seat," Count Ogden said immediately when Zelda entered the room.  
Her guards remained at their post by the doors as she took her place in the most ornate seat of the room.  
"What's this about? I was not told of any meeting," Zelda explained, putting back on her professional façade.  
"Yes, I apologize for this meeting being an utter surprise, but you see, Your Highness, I felt the need to arrange it after seeing your..." the Count dramatically cleared his throat, " _behavior_ with the prisoner, Sir Link."  
Fear stirred within her. "What _behavior_ , do you speak of Count Ogden?"  
The older man gave a small chuckle. "You are an intelligent woman, Your Grace. You know exactly what behavior I speak of. You are very close with Sir Link. In fact, you have had intimate relations with him, have you not?"  
It felt as though everything had frozen right then and there.  
No, they had been careful, hadn't they? Before, when Link came to her chambers, he had always come through the secret passages hidden in the walls; passages that only the royal family knew of. They would have their most intimate moments in areas away from the public's line of sight, they very often only shared one or two dances at balls to avoid suspicion, and much to both of their dismay, they refrained from even touching each other in public.  
Their time together was limited to small one-day outings to Hyrule Field, secret moments on the carriage rides they took when he escorted her to other villages and domains, the time he snuck her out of the palace to go to a festival in a nearby village and a one-time, two-day trip to Lake Hylia.

Oh, but the Count wasn't referring to those escapades. He was referring to what he had seen in the cell.  
Zelda had been so caught up in the moment with Link that she didn't even bother to check if anyone was watching her through the cell's tiny window. Now she knew that someone had: Count Ogden.  
Goddesses, she was careless! What would this mean for her and most importantly, for him? What would they do? If any of them touched a single hair on his head, she would end them—  
"Your Grace? Are you alright?" Count Ogden asked sarcastically with a grin on his wrinkled face.  
He had been expecting a reaction to stating what he saw, and he had gotten exactly what he wanted.  
"I'm _fine_ , thank you," Zelda spat in response.  
"Excellent. Then, allow me to tell you now that I have discussed what I saw with the council here today. We have decided to finally have Sir Link pay for the crime he has committed."  
"He hasn't committed any crime! He is _innocent_!" she shouted.  
He scoffed. "I'm afraid that your judgment is no longer valid in this case, Your Grace. At this point, it is extremely obvious that your opinion on the matter is biased due to your feelings for this criminal."  
"Sir Link is anything but a criminal, Count Ogden! You have no proof that he killed the Captain of the Hylian Army—"  
"Oh please," another voice interrupted. Zelda turned to the speaker and her heart was filled with more dread at the sight of Viscount Cromwell. "He was found holding a bloody sword near the Captain's chambers! What more evidence is required, Your Highness?"  
"And the motive?" she asked coldly.  
"Simple: Sir Link murdered the Captain of the Hylian Army in the hopes that you would give him the title _of_ Captain. Perhaps he had hoped that he would receive a big enough change in station to marry the lovely princess of Hyrule."  
She was furious. "Link would never do such a thing to improve his status."  
"I apologize, Your Highness, but as my father stated earlier, your judgment is no longer valid in the case of Sir Link," Viscount Cromwell replied. "In fact, the council has decided that Sir Link is indeed guilty of murdering the Hylian Captain and will be sentenced to public execution in three days' time. The announcement will be made directly after this meeting."  
Just like that, Zelda felt as if her own heart had stopped beating.  
Death.  
They were going to kill him.  
Her chest felt so heavy and it was as though something blocked her throat. She could barely breathe without hyperventilating.  
"Is everything fine, Your Majesty?" the nobleman next to her asked.  
She stood up quickly. "I…I need some air."  
She turned to leave the room and had her hand on the handle when Viscount Cromwell spoke again.  
"Oh, and Your Majesty? There is one more thing. When the criminal is executed, the hand that will deliver the killing blow of the sword will be yours," the viscount added. "He will be allowed that one bit of sympathy."  
Alright, that was it.  
Zelda forced off her calm mask and faced the viscount with all of her fury extremely clear on her face.  
" _Sympathy?!_ In what way is that sympathy?" she yelled.  
Cromwell only grinned. "It certainly doesn't hurt to see your beauty before death, Your Highness, if you don't mind me saying."  
 _Oh, I mind.  
_ "Besides," he continued. "I trust that you'll give him a swift death; easy and painless. Perhaps it's more sympathetic to you than him."  
She glared at him.  
"I'm afraid there's nothing that can be done, Your Grace," Count Ogden said, bringing himself back into the conversation that his son had taken over. "It's settled. Sir Link will be executed in three days' time by way of sword. You will be the executioner. Understood?"  
She understood clear as day. It didn't have to be repeated and Count Ogden knew it. At this point, they were just trying to provoke her.  
She had to tell Link. The last thing she wanted was for him to find out through the noblemen that hated him.  
"I understand, thank you. Right now, I shall go speak to Sir Link to alert him of this…decision. I will not be followed or listened to by any of you as we speak," Zelda demanded.  
"Go on. I assure you that no one here wants to see two young lovers grope one another in sorrow. It was bad enough the first time," Count Ogden stated.  
Zelda didn't bother replying and simply opened the door and left.

 _Three Days Later_

The day of Link's death had arrived.  
As soon as Zelda had woken up, she cursed the sun that shone through her bedroom curtains. How dare the sun show itself on a day like this. How could the Goddesses have the nerve to allow such a thing?  
She barely paid any attention as the morning came and went. She had her breakfast, whatever it was. She got dressed in the black she had demanded from the seamstresses, who had originally wanted her to wear a light purple dress. The suggestion had nearly made Zelda want to slap the woman for being so inconsiderate.  
Her hair was done and the blade that was to be used was sharpened and shined to perfection.

Then it was time.  
Princess Zelda stepped outside, immediately blinded by the sunlight that she cursed once more. Count Ogden and Viscount Cromwell presented her with the sword with vivid grins that made her want to scratch her own eyes out so she wouldn't have to see them.  
A surprising crowd of people had arrived at the 'ceremony', most of them probably wanting to pay their respects to the man that had helped them all. That was Link after all; he always helped others in need and never shied away from a task once he was given it.  
Zelda was led to a podium and she barely registered her own steps as she climbed up its small set of stairs.  
Then there was Link.  
His blonde hair was everywhere and more injuries than she was okay with adorned his face and neck.  
For a split second, she debated plunging the sword into her own chest so she wouldn't have to go through with this, but she quickly decided against it. Killing herself to avoid killing him wasn't a solution at all. Her council was right; only Zelda could make it as swift and painless as possible. If she offed herself, what difference would it make? The council would be, without a doubt, enraged with the person they called their princess, but Link would most definitely not be spared. In fact, they would manage to blame him for her death; say that it was her love for him that killed her at the end of the day. Besides, what would stop them from just getting another soldier or even a council member, to finish the job? He'd never be completely safe for as long as he lived.  
As much as she hated to say it, the council was right. Out of all people, she would put Link through the least amount of suffering. It would pain her forever...there was no denying that. No matter what she did, she would regret it for the rest of her life. If she killed him, she'd be haunted by the moment for the rest of her life. If she set down the sword and allowed someone else to do the job, she would hate herself forever. There was no way to get him out of here alive.  
And she knew that.  
She forced herself to look into his bright blue eyes that were full of—  
Acceptance?  
Yes, that was what bloomed behind those sky blue eyes: acceptance. He didn't look angry or sad. He looked at her as if he had known that it would come down to this and he was fine with it.  
She, on the other hand, had tears she didn't even bother to try stopping the flow of.  
"I'm sorry," she cried. "I want you to know that I never wanted this for us...for you."  
"I know," he whispered in return. "If things could have gone differently, I would have been first in line for you. Maybe I would even be lucky enough to call you my wife..."  
She smiled sadly. What she would have given to have that be real.  
"You would be. There would be no one except you..." She paused for a moment until she finally confessed amidst her tears, "I love you."  
"I love you too, Zelda."  
She sucked in a deep breath.  
Link called her Zelda. He never called her by her real name; it was always 'Princess' or one of her many formal titles like 'Your Grace' or 'Your Highness.' Never Zelda.  
"Link..."  
"Marry someone, Zelda," he insisted, and she was struck aback again at his use of her name. "Marry a good man that will take care of you and be there for you. Ascend to your throne and please, if you can, love again."  
She shook her head. "There will never be someone else like you. I'll never love someone like I love you."  
"Just try. Please."  
She only nodded as the tears continued to fall.  
"You can do this, Zelda. Nice and quick."  
He made it sound so easy, but she wasn't sure if it was for her sake or his own.  
But they both knew it had to be done.  
Taking a deep breath, she went closer towards him and kissed him.  
She could taste the saltiness of her tears (or were they his? She would never know) as she sunk into him, into the strong feelings that burst from her heart as she held onto him. She brought her hand up to his neck and brought him closer.  
Then, gripping the hilt so tight that the fingers on her other hand were probably white, she brought the sword up and plunged it into his chest.  
He parted and sucked in a painful breath.  
"I'm so sorry," she bawled more intensely than before.  
He simply shook his head. "Don't be. There wasn't…another choice," he grunted out. "I still love you."  
"I love you too," she replied, repeating his words from earlier. "I don't deserve you, though. I never have."  
He smiled. "You're the worthiest of them all, Zelda."

Soldiers were forced to pull Princess Zelda of Hyrule away from the limp body of her deceased guard. She had been clutching the body of her beloved as if it had been her very life force; the very thing that kept her going.  
She had briefly fought the guards that pulled her away, only to give up on her attacks and let them take her away.  
She spoke not a single word for days on end and had to be coaxed into eating. The servants and her handmaiden were worried for her health until sometime out of the blue, she began eating more. However, she still hadn't spoke a word.  
Hylians were concerned about their beloved princess (or rather, their soon to be queen) and some had even asked other palace workers if their princess was even alive. She never went to address them, never planned any festivities or grand parties or lavish balls.  
Her silence was deafening.  
Six months after the execution of the man she loved, new evidence was brought to light that proved that Sir Link had not been the man who murdered the Captain of the Hylian Army. Link had been framed for a crime committed not by him, but by Viscount Cromwell, who had hoped that Link's death would finally allow him to have the princess' hand in marriage.  
It was on the day of Viscount Cromwell's execution in which the princess had spoken her first words in months.  
With a voice that amplified how heartbroken and anguished she was, she had yelled at the top of her lungs, "May the Goddesses damn you as you deserve!" as she watched the selfish noble finally pay for his crime.  
She marched back inside the castle with her held high as a single tear streamed down her face.

Only when she was alone did she finally allow herself to relish in her memories of Link; the way his blonde hair blew in the wind or how he had often picked her up and carried her on his shoulder to fool around; the way he mocked the voices of the stuck up nobles after council meetings just to make her feel better and how he sneaked her out of the castle in peasant clothing just to go for a dance in Ordon.  
Zelda closed her eyes in an attempt to stop the flow of tears. She put a hand to her growing stomach, knowing that there were going to be too many more memories that Link wouldn't be a part of.


End file.
